Shopping reminder



NOV. 23, 1954 E ARKAS E 2,695,000

SHOPPING REMINDER 'iled April 14, 1954 2 SheetsSheet l IN V EN TORS'.

United States Patent Office SHOPPING REMINDER Eugene Farkas, New York, and Amram Hadd'ad, Bronx, N. Y.

Application April 14, 1954, Serial No. 423,098 3 Claims. (Cl. 116-135) Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in a reminder device for reminding a busy housewife or other person of the necessity of attending to certain matters listed on the device, such as the purchase of items of household supplies or the like, or the performance of some household duty or chore from time to time, such as the device disclosed in our copending application Serial Number D-28,854.

Broadly, the invention contemplates a reversible reminder device having a printable surface on each face thereof, with a row of items, such as household supplies or the like, printed or otherwise applied thereto, and arranged in orderly, side by side, spaced relation. A movable element is associated with each item in the row on each face of the device and is adapted to be manually displaced from time to time from its normal position to expose a red warning arrow or the like pointing to the particular item. The displaced element and the red warning arrow serve as a constant and visible warning that the particular item needs attention.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a reminder device of this kind that serves as a visual warning to the user that a particular item listed thereon needs to be purchased or otherwise needs attention, which warning constantly remains as such until the item has been attended to by the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reminder device of this kind that can readily be placed upon any suitable supporting surface such as a table or wall, and at the same time take up but a very little room.

A further object of the invention is to provide a re minder device of this kind that can very readily be manipulated, is characterized by fewness of parts, and is free of automatically movable parts that might need attention or get out of order.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a reminder device, the construction of which is simple and rugged, attracts attention, and is pleaslng in appearance.

It is further proposed to produce a reminder device that is highly eflicient in use and which may be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

Other objects and advantage of the invention Wlll be apparent from the description thereof to follow taken in connection with the accompanying drawing 1n which- Fig. l is a front elevational view of a reminder device embodying one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged front view of a fragment of the device.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a front view of a fragment of the intermediate disc.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the center of a reminder device embodying a modification of the invention, on an enlarged scale.

In Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, of the drawings, the first embodiment of the invention is shown as comprising a body having a pair of outer circular discs 5 and 6 and an intermediate disc 7 of the same shape arranged in superposed relation. The discs are preferably formed of thin, white, resilient, opaque plastic material but may of course be formed of any other suitable material. At their centers, the discs are perforated and the peripheries 2,695,000 Patented Nov. 23, 1954 perforations are clamped together by upsetting the ends of an eyelet 8. The superposed outer peripheral edges of the discs are clamped together by and between the flanges 9 and 10 of a ring 11 formedof material similar to the material of the discs.

The outer faces of the outer discs 5 and 6 are each provided with a circular row of indicia 12 arranged along radial lines in spaced orderly fashion therearound, which indicia is printed or otherwise suitably applied to said faces. The reminder device shown in the drawings is an example of a kitchen reminder and the indicia 12 shown thereon represents a list of items of household commodities or groceries, such as coffee, sugar and the like. It will be understood of course that the particular indicia utilized will depend upon the nature of the use to which the reminder device is to be put. For example, the items on the outer face of one of the outer discs, for example disc 5, may represent a purchasing list, such as a list of groceries, while the list on the outer face of the other disc 6 may represent items listing household duties or chores to be performed in the future, such as furnace indicating that the furnace has to be attended to.

Adjacent their outer peripheral edges and outwardly of the indicia 12, the outer discs 5 and 6 are bulged outwardly as indicated at 13 and 14, respectively, to provide spaces 15 and 16, respectively, between said outer discs and the intermediate disc 7. The bulged out portions 13 and 14 are formed with elongated slots 17 and 18, respectively, arranged radially and aligned with the items comprising the indicia 12. The slots 17 and 18 are each elongated, of substantially key-hole configuration, and each is constricted at its center to form a neck portion 19 thereby providing a wide portion 20 at one end of the slot and a wide portion at the other end. of the slot forming a window 21 through which the disc 7 may be seen. The window 21 terminates in an arrow pointed end 22, pointing to the adjacent item in the list of items.

As shown in Fig. 6, the intermediate disc 7 adjacent its outer periphery has printed thereon or otherwise suitably applied thereto on each face thereof, a plurality of spaced colored areas 23 which correspond in spacing to the spacing of the windows 21 and which may be substantially of the same shape. and size as the windows. The areas are preferably colored red to serve as a warning. In the superposed relation of the discs, the colored areas 23 are directly in line with the windows 21.

A sliding element 24 is slidably mounted in each of the slots 17 of the outer disc 5 and a similar sliding element 25 is slidably mounted in each of the slots 18 of the outer disc 6. The sliding elements 24 and 25 each consists of a pin 26 formed of suitable opaque material, such as metal, plastic or the like, and each pin is provided with an integral flange portion 27 formed on one end thereof. The flanged portions of the pins in the slots 17 of the disc 5 slide on the upper surface of the intermediate disc 7 as viewed in Fig. 3, in the spaces 15, lengthwise along said slots, with the pins protruding outwardly of the slots and serving as finger pieces for manipulating the sliding elements. Similarly, the flanged portions 27 of the pins 26 in the slots 18 of disc 6 slide on the surface of the intermediate disc 7 in the spaces 16, with the pins protruding outwardly of the slots and serving as finger pieces for manipulating the same. The reminder device may be turned upside down or reversed so that either disc 5 or disc 6 may be uppermost as desired.

The diameter of each pin 26 is slightly wider than the distance across the space of the slot at its neck portion 19 so that when it is manually slid past said neck portion, the walls of the neck portion flex permitting the pin to pass and at the same time forcing the pin with a snap action into the wider end portion of the slot. The material of the bulged portions 13 and 14 are preferably weakened by cutting elongated openings 28 between the slots 17 and 18, respectively, so that the walls of the neck portion are made more resilient. The neck portion also prevents accidental displacement of the pin when it has been moved to either end of the slot.

flange portion 27 of the pin is suf- The diameter of the ficiently wide, and together with the pin is of sufliclent of said area to close the window portion 21 of the slot when the sliding element or pin is in its innermost position as viewed in Fig. l, and thereby to cover and conceal the colored area 23 of the intermediate disc 7 therebelow. This innermost covering position of the pin is the normal position for the sliding elements.

When the need for replenishing various items or commodities listed is discovered, the slidable elements opposite such items are manually slid outwardly of the slots to outermost position thereby opening the windows 21 and exposing the colored areas 23 of the intermediate disc 7. After the sliding elements have thus been operated, their displaced condition together with the colored arrow shaped windows pointing to the particular items will indicate that such particular items are to be purchased or attended to by the user. After such matters have been attended to, the sliding elements may be nanually returned to normal position at the opposite or moperative ends of the slots.

A modified form of the invention is shown in Fig. 7. In this form, the outer discs and 6 are spaced apart at their peripheral edges 29 and 30, respectively, and such discs are joined together at this point by a ring member 31, bulbous in cross section, and having an inwardly extending flange 32. The peripheral edges of the discs are flttingly secured in grooves 33 formed in the inner face of the ring. The intermediate disc 7 is of a color contrasting to the color of the discs 5 and 6', preferably red. The intermediate disc 7 is smaller in diameter than the outer discs with its outer periphery 34 extending to a point adjacent to but not quite abutting the inner periphery of the flange 32 on the ring so that said intermediate disc 7 floats or is free to rotate. The outer periphery of the disc 7' however protrudes between the outer peripheral edges of the flanged portions 27 of the pins 26 so that said disc 7' is prevented from tilting or becoming displaced. The flanged portions 27 on the pins 26 slide on the opposed surfaces of the inwardly extending flange 32 of the ring 31. When the sliding element or pin 26' is slid to its outermost position as shown in full lines in Fig. 7, the red color of the material of the disc 7 is exposed to view through the window 21, but when it is slid to innermost position as shown in dotted lines, the window is closed and the disc 7' is hidden from view.

In all other respects, the form of the invention shown in Fig. 7 is similar to the first form of the invention and similar reference numerals are used to indicate similar parts.

While disc-shaped surfaces bearing the printed indicia have been illustrated, it will be understood that such surfaces may be of any desired shape such as square, rectangular or the like. It will also be understood that the slots may be of any suitable shape other than that shown.

Furthermore, while we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise constructions herein illustrated and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A reminder device comprising a body having a pair of superposed spaced flexible discs, the spaced discs each having an outer surface .with printed indicia thereon listing various items in spaced formation and each having a plurality of spaced elongated slots in line with the items listed, each slot having a restricted neck portion, an intermediate disc interposed in the space between the discs of the pair of discs and having a series of spaced contrasting colored areas aligned with the slots of each disc, and a sliding element in each spaced slot in each disc, said element including a finger piece protruding through and slidable along the slot, and a flange on the inner end of the finger piece between the intermediate disc and the adjacent spaced disc adapted to normally cover the colored area therebelow on the intermediate disc, the diameter of said finger piece being slightly greater than the distance across the restricted neck portion of the slot whereby the edges of said restricted neck portion are made to flex upon passage of the finger piece and thereby snap the finger piece to the other side of the neck portion, said neck portion serving to hold the finger piece against displacement on either side thereof.

2. A reminder device comprising a body having a pair of superposed spaced flexible discs, the spaced discs each having an outer surface with printed indicia thereon listing various items in spaced formation and each having a plurality of spaced elongated slots in line with the items listed, each slot having a restricted neck portion, an intermediate disc interposed in the space between the discs of the pair of discs and having a series of spaced contrasting colored areas aligned with the slots of each disc, and a sliding element in each slot in each spaced disc, said element including a finger piece protruding through and slidable along the slot, and a flange on the inner end of the finger piece between the intermediate disc and the adjacent printed disc and being adapted to normally cover the colored area therebelow on the intermediate disc, the diameter of said finger piece being slightly greater than the distance across the restricted neck portion of the slot whereby the edges of said restricted neck portion are made to flex upon passage of the finger piece and thereby snap the finger piece to the other side of the neck portion, said neck portion serving to hold the finger piece against displacement on either side thereof, said spaced discs each having openings between and parallel to the elongated slots therein to provide additional flexability for the edges of the restricted neck portions.

3. A reminder device comprising a body having a flexible .outer disc having an outer surface with printed indicia thereon listing various items in spaced formation and having a plurality of spaced elongated slots in line with the items listed, each slot having a restricted neck portion, another disc behind said outer disc having a series of spaced contrasting colored areas aligned with the slots of the outer disc, and a sliding element in each slot, said element including a finger piece protruding through and slidable along the slot, and a flange on the inner end of the finger piece between the secondnamed disc and the outer disc and being adapted to normally cover the colored area therebelow on the secondnamed disc, the diameter of said finger piece being slightly greater than the distance across the restricted neck portion of the slot whereby the edges of said restricted neck portion are made to flex upon passage of the finger piece and thereby snap the finger piece to the other side of the neck portion, said neck portion serving to hold the finger piece against displacement on either side thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,699,006 McMinn Jan. 16, 1929 2,219,841 Harless Oct. 29, 1940 2,461,811 Cusano Feb. 15, 1949 

